Lost child
by Nichira
Summary: Danny finds himself lost in a forest he's never seen before. Trying to find back home, or anything else but wood, he begins to fear as he is getting low on energy. Forced to land, he continues to walk forward by foot. Things keeps going from bad to worse though when a ghost finds him.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Danny was flying at a low speed through the air some meters up above the forest. Trying to see where he was but so far there had been no signs for him to either recognize or help him get home. Which in itself wasn't so surprising considering that he had gotten to that forest be accident through one of Clockworks portals. So he had never been even close to this wood before.

At least he was happy that it wasn't raining, or snowing. He wasn't fully sure how warm or cold the air was, seeing how his ice core stopped him from feeling those kind of thing unless the where extreme. Still it could be better too, mostly he would have been glad if it had been day and not night. Only giving him the moon's light to help him search.

The occasional sound from among the trees was, on the other hand, not reassuring and was the head reason as to why he wasn't down on the ground. Flying was nice and so, as well with the advantage of knowing that he was not going in circles. At least he don't believe he was moving in circles. But it had to have been some hours now and still there had been not any sign of civilization. Not a single one. That, and the fact he was also hungry, was starting to make him feel anxious. He just wanted to get back to Clockwork's already.

Flying is one of the least energy taking abilities outside the ghostzone, yet Danny was getting tired, and he was getting tired fast. Taking a look down in to the forest he had a thought about finding a good tree to sleep under. Sounds rose from among the trees again and any idea of taking a rest in there was pushed aside. But he wouldn't be able to stay in the air for that much longer.

"I want to go back…"

As he had feared so did he soon have to land and since there wasn't really any point to be in his ghost form he shifted back to human form. He proceeded to walk in a so straight line he could, but there wasn't really any hope left that he would indeed find something.

A short while later though he would be prove to be wrong. He didn't find a house or even a road, and technically so wasn't it really 'him' that found something, but the other way around. At first so had he believed it to be a trick of the eye when he saw a glowing pink light floating between the trees. But then it had come closer, right up to him actually.

"…Please don't hurt me. I'm lost and I just want to get back home."

The pink little candle like ghost thingy with a golden heart on it's chest turned it's head to the side before giving out a little chirp at him. It then proceeded to fly closer and wrap it's tail around Danny's wrist. Making him flinch.

"L-let go!" The halfa would most likely be able to defeat this ghost if it came to a fight. But he was tired and lost and didn't want to spend his already low energy on a meaningless fight.

The little ghostly did of course not let go. It simply chirped at him some more as it tugged on him to follow. Not wanting to see where this one could possibly want to lead him Danny decided to pull a stunt.

The grip around his wrist wasn't slack but it wasn't overly tight either, so with one strong pull The boy got his arm back. And as soon as he was lose he ran. Trough ground vegetation, over rocks and between tree. There was a sharp shrill behind him but that didn't make him stop. Instead he tried to speed up a little.

Which is also why he fell down a slop that he hadn't been able to see in time. Efficiently hitting himself unconscious against a tree at the bottom at it. There might be a weak memory of the ghost circling above him while screaming worried tones but Danny is not sure about that being real or just in his head.

There was some time later that Danny started to come to again and the first thing he registered was that he was being carried. Worried and still not fully clear in his head yet, the boy tried to struggle out of the hold on him. He felt how the rather big arms and hands tightened a bit and how a gentle and deep voice echoed out.

"It's okay. We aren't going to harm you, you are safe."

It was clear that this was someone that Danny have never meet before, or at least he didn't recognize the voice speaking to him. Now a little more awake the child looked up at the one holding him. He saw a high amount of purple and a pair of… shades. Wasn't it still in the middle of the night? An odd time to wear shades.

But looking at them a little more the boy saw a light glow behind them and he also **felt** what was off with the male. Making him start to shiver.

"Ghost."

The tensing in the man's arms around him was not helping him in calming down as it also confirmed what he had said.

"Let g-go off me." That is when two other voices came in to play. Startling the child a little.

"Hey be careful. You hit your head quite badly. No point in risking hitting it worse." Came from a strict female voice.

"You don't need to be afraid. Lewis may be big but he is the friendliest person around. You are going to be okay." Was said by a more quieter, softer male voice.

When Danny tried to look at these two as well all he really saw was blue and yellow. His head was hurting so badly, too. A few tears fell down, from either fear or tiredness Danny didn't know. And his world was turning dark again. He had time to voice one last sentence before he fell asleep for a second time.

"I want to go home"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When Danny later started to wake up again there was a blissful moment where he believed that he was home. He could feel how he was laying in a warm bed under a blanket and with a soft pillow under his head. Yet he soon noticed things that where out of place.

The scent in the room wasn't right and the texture on the bed was also off. Together with that was a looming feeling from the rooms atmosphere that was all wrong. Little like how one can feel the 'size' of a room even if you aren't looking. Danny thinks this room feels big, to big.

Silently he gives a small wish that all the sensations are just his imagination as he slowly open his eyes. He tries his best thereafter not to let the feeling of dread and fear overwhelm him. Some effort also goes to holding back the tears that is burning behind his eyes.

The room was dark as the light was off and it was still night outside, but the moon light has searched its way in and let him see enough to know this was not home. Moving so he was more in a sitting position he saw the room was bigger then it should be, and looking at the shapes in the dark, so was the furniture. He couldn't see the colors of the room but he could tell the where dark onces, that comforted him a little as that was something familiar from his own room.

Danny didn't have time to look around further, as he caught the sound of not only voices but also footsteps. Both getting closer. The first instinct was to turn invisible and maybe even intangible but then he remembered that the last thing he saw was not only humans but also ghosts. There was no guaranty that none of the ghosts would sense him.

Looking at the window he got the idea to simply fly away. The only problem with that though was that he not only didn't know how to get home but he also had no idea where this house where in the world it belonged to. If there even was anything remotely like a town somewhere near it. It wasn't helping that he felt how he still haven't gotten a lot of energy back yet.

Running out off time and options, as the sounds where right next to the room, Danny went down on the bed to do his best in feigning sleep. Moments later the voices become near quiet as the door to the room opened and more then just one person entered the room.

The room they had left the kid in had a light function so that you could turn on full light or chose to only slightly lighten up the room in a softer light. The light was turned up so much that they could move around without risking to go into anything, but not so sharp that it would disturb the child that was laying face down.

Arthur looked to the others that where closer to the bed then he was, softly whispering. "Is he awake?"

"No, don't seem like it. Only moved a little." Vivi wasn't as low in her tone but still softly as not to cause disturbance. "The poor thing did seem really out of it and that little tumble he took down the hill definitely didn't help."

Arthur carefully closes the door before going with them to the bed. He looked down on Mystery that they had left in the room with the kid. In case the kid woke up they thought that meeting a friendly 'dog' first may be of more help then a stranger. Bending down he petted him over the back.

"How's it going Myst? Any sign of the kid waking up when we were gone?"

Vivi was meanwhile asking Lewis where he wanted her to put down the water bowl and hand towel. "On the side table would be good. Could you then help me moving him so it's easier to change his bandage?"

"Sure Lew." But before she could get any farther Arthur spoke up.

"Wait a second guys." They looked to him as he went up to beside the bed. Gently he put his real hand between the child's shoulder blades. "Hey kid, you are not really sleeping are you?" The soft tremor under his hand gave him the answer he needed. "I know this is properly very scary for you, but we won't hurt you. You are in our home after we found you in the woods. I'm sorry but we need to clean the wound on your head, it's not bad, but it need cleaning. Is it okay for us to move you to sitting up?"

They are meet with more quiet and Arthur can just hear that Vivi is about to questioning him, when the child starts to move. Moving back a little the adults look on as the child slowly but surely changed from laying down to sitting against the headboard. Obviously frightened the child's looks up at them with big blue eyes. Small shaking visible.

"H-how…?"

"Sorry, you are good at playing, I can give you that, but it seems you didn't notice Mystery." The child gave a confused and scared look. "He was still in the room, in case you woke up. Hey Myst, can you get up here a second?"

And up on the bedside came a dog head and two forepaws. The weird dog giving off a light bark. The change in the child was immediate, even if it was still clear he was scared, he smiled brightly and lifted a hand before stopping and glancing up slightly to the adults.

Vivi chuckles. "It's okay. Go ahead and pet him if you want. He likes cuddles anyway."

In seconds the child was petting Mystery and shortly there after Mystery took a little jump up on the bed to lay beside the boy. Giving a light lick on his hand. "Good doggy." Again the boy looked up from the dog currently snuggling in his side. "But h-how did y-you know I was a-awake?"

"Because he," Arthur pointed to the 'dog'. "Was quiet. He usually isn't when around us so I simply assumed it was because you was already up."

"Oh…" The child looked down on himself. Gave of a short start as he saw his clothes.

"Ah, sorry kid but your own clothes was not only dirty but a bit torn. Also sorry that they are a little big on you, the only once we could take clothes from was either me or Vivi, that girl over there." She waved as the boy looked at her. "And while she might be closer to you in size, and it is her t-shirt we took, I do believe you feel more comfortable in sweatpants rather then a skirt, or jeans since you are in bed."

"I still believe he could fit quite good in a skirt. He has the form for it."

"No Vivi."

"It's not to far from your form and you can look stunning in a skirt as we has learned. Right Lew, wasn't Artie just yummy in a skirt?"

"Oh my god Vivi, keep quiet. Also you promised not to take that up more times. Lewis could you back me up here?…Lew?" Sadly the ghost was to far deep in memory lane as his human face was all but glowing in red. "Oh, come on."

A small unfamiliar laughter caught all their attention as they looked back on the bed. Where the child was currently slightly curled over Mystery as he laughed at their antics. It was relaxing that they had managed to calm him, now it was just to take care of the head injury as well as ask some questions.

Arthur spoke softly to not spook him. "Hey now, it's not really that funny. I just bet you wouldn't be founding it that laughable if it was you." The child's laugher did calm down but he was still grinning up at them. "Now on to other matters, I'm Arthur and as you know already so is that Vivi, the other guy is Lewis. His big but super friendly. What is your name?"

"I-I'm Daniel but I prefer Danny."

"Okay Danny. Lewis will be taking care of your bandages now, it will only be a moment. Still, tell us if it hurts to much or if it becomes to uncomfortable for you."

At the cue Lewis steps closer with some the now wet towel in one hand and some other cleaning tool in his other. The group of adults kept their friendly smiles up, even when they felt over how the child showed fear once more as Lewis neared.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

At first they believed that Danny could be scared for the big guy **because** he was so big, and many find that intimidating. But they didn't found that that theory fitted seeing how he had been able to calm down before and the fact that Lewis has done nothing to gain that fear.

The next idea they got for the 'why' was a little more worrisome, they remembered after all, what the kid had said before he fell unconscious again. He had clearly said 'Ghost'. Lewis feared that he may have somehow seen his eyes glow through the sunglasses, or that they had somehow slipped so that he saw his black eyes with pink glowing iris. Both Arthur and Vivi had argued back that Lewis never let's his glasses slip and that the glow wasn't noticeable enough. But that had been more to calm down both Lewis and themselves.

That is likely the reason why their big love tries to discreetly recheck on his glasses more the he usually does. That and taking extra care to be gentle with the child while looking as harmless as it's possible for him to do. Danny did not show any different as he clearly continued being scared, but Lewis felt on the other hand how the child was becoming a little less tense under his hands.

Meanwhile so was Danny indeed still very scared. Again so had he sensed ghost when Lewis approached him and he had been forced to swallow the 'smock' so that the adults wouldn't see it. Danny was worried for if, or when, the other ghost would 'notice' that he was not the only ghost.

But as he had continued with being gentle and careful with him so could Danny allow himself to relax, even if just a little. Maybe this ghost wasn't used to sense others like him or maybe Danny's human side was throwing him off. It was enough to calm him.

He did not even play with the thought that the other may in truth sensed him already but wasn't calling him out on it. They never are that nice, not when it's a ghost that haven't come to know him yet as something else then a 'threat' or 'prey'.

In his more relaxed state however so was he starting to notice something. An other energy. At first when he felt it was he near to tense up again, but then he noticed that this energy was 'weird'. It didn't feel like a 'dead' energy like the one ghosts have and it didn't feel like a normal 'living' energy either. Confused and a little curious Danny tried to feel where it was coming from.

Lewis breathed out a quiet sigh of relief when the child further relaxed. So much that it was visible. Behind himself, Lewis could feel that he wasn't the only one that calmed down at that. It really had been silly to believe that he was discovered as a ghost. The child had likely just been so scared and upset at the time that anything could have been a ghost.

He found that thought both sad and a little funny. It was sad because he was so clearly sacred of ghost and maybe other supernatural things too. It was a little funny because there was so few who believed in anything supernatural even among the young ones, yet here is a teen who believes in it.

Soon so was he done with taking care of the wound, having it cleaned and re-bandaged, it was a lot less bad then as he had remembered it too. Most been the stress that tricked him. Looking at his work a last time to see everything was in order so saw he how the child was looking down curiously on Mystery.

It made Lewis smile with how much Danny likes dogs. Rising up on his feet, the tools and spare bandage on the table, Lewis reached out his hand to pet the child on the head. It's a gesture he does almost on reflex when someone's hurt have been taken care of, he even do it to Arthur sometimes, and he means absolutely nothing bad with it. Most like it actually. But sadly so was that not a good thing to do this time.

Danny had been so focused on the energy and had been even more so when it appeared to lead back to the dog. So he wasn't in any way ready when a hand was, for him, suddenly looming over his head. He panicked.

None of the adults had been ready for the screaming as the child first hit at Lewis hand, or for when he struggled so badly with the covers, to get away, that he got tangled in them. Frightening him even further. The first to recollect his wits, and to dive for the child aid, was Arthur.

He tried to get a hold on Danny to stop him from hurting himself in his trashing. All the while talking to him as calmly as he could to hopefully get him out of his fearful state. But as he touched him so became the screaming higher and trashing more wildly.

Somewhere there so snapped the other three in the room out of it and come to the rescue as well. Lewis and Vivi both helped Arthur in getting the child to stop moving. Mystery went to slick the child's face when they finally managed to still him. That didn't stop Danny from shacking like a leaf though while he whimpered out pleas.

"… P-please…D-d-don't h-hurt… m-me… Don't h-hurt m-m-me… please, d-don't hurt…" That same message was in intervals together with another. "…L-let g-go… hurts… I-it h-hurts… so m-much…Let g-go… No m-more…P-please… It hurts…"

Danny cried and cried as he pleaded but all those in the room could do was to hold him. Hold him till he tired himself out into a restless sleep. They continued to sit there with him, Arthur holding him close in a hug, while Lew or Viv would stroke his head when he whimpered in his sleep. Mystery positioning himself on his legs, nudging them lightly at the whimpers.

Arthur looked up to his friends before he spoke next. "I think we have something more then just a lost child on our hands, guys."


End file.
